I never saw a need to buy a specific double boiler pot. It's just too easy to do the SS bowl over a pan of boiling water. It has the added benefit of your being able to vary the capacity to fit your needs.

When making Genoise cake, a type of cake that rises on egg power alone, the recipe calls for you to beat the eggs and sugar in the mixer bowl over a pot of simmering water until gently warmed. Not too fast, or you'll have scrambled eggs!

Then you must furiously beat the egg mixture with the electric mixer on the highest speed until the mixture nearly triples in volume and is about the consistancy of mayonaise before slowly adding the remaining ingredients.

I never saw a need to buy a specific double boiler pot. It's just too easy to do the SS bowl over a pan of boiling water. It has the added benefit of your being able to vary the capacity to fit your needs.

I didn't buy either of mine... but they are extremely useful.

OTOH, there ARE times when neither is big enough for the job I'm doing and I surely go to the old bowl atop the sauce pan trick!

I have one made with stainless steel, I love it and use it often for making custard, bechamele and my favourite "sin" quattro formaggi, etc. This is one cookware I had never thought of buying it before, but after getting it I discovered its wonderful convenience and wouldn't want to live without it any more.

I have one that came with a set of cookware given to me back in 1975. I've never used it - lol!!! The bottom part, sure - use it for cooking all the time. Have just never found a need for the top insert. In fact, I think it's currently relegated to the basement.

When we kids were small and my folks had a tiny apartment, my mother used a double boiler all the time--rice or potatoes in the bottom part, more delicate veggies up above. She had a one-burner hotplate to work on. When the stuff in the double boiler was about cooked, she'd set the unopened pot on a folded dishtowel to finish on "retained heat" while she whipped out the skillet to cook the meat (patties or chops or something like that, usually).